New faces, top prospects and the coach’s son: 5 questions as Hurricanes open NHL camp

The Carolina Hurricanes were the betting favorite to win the Stanley Cup a year ago when preseason training camp kicked off.

Not that Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour put any stock in it, saying, “It’s a great talking point, but we all know it means nothing.”

A year later, with camp set to begin Thursday, the Hurricanes are not the Cup favorites. And much has changed since the May night when the New York Rangers ended the Canes’ playoff hopes in the second round.

In the Carolina lineup that night were Jake Guentzel, Teuvo Teravainen, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Stefan Noesen, Brady Skjei and Tony DeAngelo. All are gone, along with Brett Pesce, who was injured during the playoffs.

The Canes also will be missing forward Jesper Fast, who had neck surgery in August. Injured in the final game of the regular season, Fast was not available in the playoffs.

Gone, too, is Don Waddell, who gave up his dual job as president and general manager of the Hurricanes to go to the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The name of the arena has changed — to Lenovo Center. Management has changed. The roster has changed.

The Hurricanes will be a good team — odds are, a playoff team again, for a seventh straight season. But how good?

Five pressing questions heading into training camp:

What’s the prospect for the prospects?

This could be the most interesting part of camp. The Canes have some young guys, general manager Eric Tulsky said, on the “cusp” of making the roster.

The opportunity clearly is there for forwards like Bradly Nadeau, Felix Unger Sörum, Jackson Blake and Noel Gunler. Defenseman Scott Morrow will also get a good look.

Tulsky calls them the “kids,” and said one or two might “knock the door down.” Nadeau and Blake made their NHL debuts in that ill-fated regular-season finale at Columbus that had Fast go out with his neck injury. Morrow made his NHL debut a few days earlier against the St. Louis Blues.

They’ve all had their first taste of it. Now, they want more. Who wants it the most?

Who’s the No. 2 center?

Hasn’t this been asked before? Yes. And yes.

The Canes signed Jesperi Kotkaniemi to an eight-year contract in 2022 believing he could be that guy, the center to anchor the second line. Team captain Jordan Staal said at the time, “I think he’s got great potential and all the tools.”

Kotkaniemi is 24. He’s coming off a season in which he had just 27 points in 79 games, and one point — an assist — in 11 playoff games.

When the playoffs ended, Jack Drury was centering Jordan Martinook and Martin Necas. Kotkaniemi was the left wing on Kuznetsov’s fourth line with Noesen.

If it’s going to happen for Kotkaniemi, it needs to happen now. But hasn’t that been said before?

Who’s No. 1 in net?

Tulsky and the Canes stood pat with their goaltenders once all was said and done — it’s Frederik Andersen’s and Pyotr Kochetkov’s net to split, again.

Andersen will be 35 when the season begins. Last season proved to be the most stressful of his career: He was sidelined with blood-clotting issues from early November to March, playing 16 regular-season games and then 10 in the playoffs.

Kochetkov made 40 starts and played in 42 games last season, with career-bests in wins (23), goals-against average (2.33) and save percentage (.911). At 25, starting his fourth NHL season, he might be ready to take over as the No. 1 guy in net, although Andersen’s veteran status still could give him the edge,

How quickly can new guys mesh?

With Pesce and Skjei gone, the Canes signed defensemen Shayne Gostisbehere and Sean Walker. They could be paired together — Gostisbehere the lefty, Walker the right-hand shot. Gostisbehere already has a grasp of Brind’Amour’s system after being with the Canes for 23 games and the playoffs in 2023, but for Walker, it’s a new thing to learn.

The same is true for the newbies at forward, including William Carrier, Jack Roslovic, Tyson Jost and Eric Robinson. Carrier, who signed a six-year, $12 million contract with Carolina, won the Cup with Vegas in 2023 and brings that element to the mix.

Brind’Amour’s system is built around a relentless forecheck and puck possession in the offensive zone and puck pressure in the defensive zone. It’s an aggressive system and newcomers have to be able to absorb it and be comfortable with it on the ice.

The Canes have camp and six preseason games to sort that out.

What about the PTOs?

When the training camp roster was announced, one name stood out: Brind’Amour.

Skyler Brind’Amour, 25, is one of three players in camp on professional tryouts. He was in the Florida Panthers’ system last season and played for the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL. The forward, despite some injuries, played 54 regular-season games and three in the playoffs for the Checkers.

Brind’Amour took part in many of the informal skates the past month at Invisalign Arena, wearing No. 77. And, yes, for those who may not know, he is the coach’s son.

Forwards Sam Gagner and Rocco Grimaldi are a pair of NHL veterans also in camp — Gagner, 35, a 17-year veteran and Grimaldi, 31, with more than 200 games of NHL experience.

All are long shots to make the Canes roster. But they’ll take their shot.